Former Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Cantonment Police Station Md Rakibul Hasan has been arrested from Rajarbagh on sedition charges. He was subsequently produced before a court, which granted a five-day remand.
He had been under police surveillance following anti-government statements. The arrest was confirmed on Thursday night by Assistant Commissioner (AC) Md Nazmul Huq of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Cantonment Zone.
Prior to his formal arrest, Rakibul had been taken into Detective Branch (DB) custody over a viral audio recording circulating on social media that contained controversial remarks regarding the government, police, and other forces.
Rakibul claimed that the audio was not authentic and had been generated using artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
In the recording, he was allegedly heard saying, “Sheikh Hasina is coming in December; nothing will happen. You cannot even imagine how weak the street police are. Once she returns, these police won’t be able to do anything.”
The audio clip also surfaced allegations regarding a transfer and posting trade at top police levels, the posting of OCs through the Inspector General of Police’s (IGP) driver, and financial irregularities involving various officials.
The recording initially spread across social media on the night of 16 September. Following the leak, Rakibul was attached to the Central Reserve Office under the DMP Headquarters and Administration Division via an order signed by DMP Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed.
The following day, on 17 September, Gulshan Police Station OC Daud Hossain and Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Gulshan Division M Tanvir Ahmed were recalled in connection with a procession staged in Gulshan by the banned Awami League.
DB Additional Commissioner Shafiqul Islam added that an investigation committee had been formed against him. Following receipt of the investigation report, a sedition case was lodged against him at Cantonment Police Station.”
